Creative Assembly

I'm watching orcs and goblins and spiders march into battle and I'm losing my mind.
After all of those trailers for Total War: Warhammer, this is exactly what I needed: in-game footage! It's a scripted demonstration, but damn if it isn't exciting to see these forces clash up close.
Between direct-control kamikaze attacks and summoning a god to step on tanks, I have high hopes.

Alongside this non-gameplay video for Total War: Warhammer, Creative Assembly has explained how it's going to label promotional materials for the strategy game going forward. I was happy to see the studio talk about this stuf...

My goodness, Creative Assembly's tactical Total War series has been around for 15 years now. There's a sale for the occasion, naturally, but it goes further than that: Shogun: Total War and Medieval: Total War have landed on ...

Jun 18 //
Alessandro FillariMoving away from the historical settings of Rome and Attila, the Warhammer lore opens things up considerably for some intense and incredibly over the top action. Set in the high-fantasy universe, players will be able to choose one of four factions (Empire, Greenskins, Dwarves, and Vampyre) and build their nations, either through diplomacy, economics, or the raw might of their military forces. When things come to blows, each faction possesses its own unique style of combat and tactics that the opposing armies will have to deal with.The combat mechanics during battles have been greatly expanded. Units can utilize more moves and abilities from close range attacks to long-range tactics through magic or muskets. Along with the Hero characters, which can be leveled up and imbued with new skills to boost their units, players will be able to summon monsters and other creations to help their armies in a pinch. During one battle between the Empire and Greenskins, one of summoned a massive spider known as Arcanarok, which spawned mini-spiders that mowed down enemy units. I was very impressed with the sense of scale and the pace. I'm interested in seeing more of what the units can do once developed further.Rest assured, the nation-building gameplay from past titles is still present in Warhammer. But naturally, how each of the factions will go about expanding its civilization will vary. As each faction possesses its own unique culture, traditional diplomacy and negotiation may not be as effective as the swing of an ax, and some factions will be more focused on engagements than others. For the Empire, it'll have the traditional and more civilized routes for expansion with politics, trade, and economics as its biggest tools. But when it comes to showing off military might, the Empire will utilize its siege cannons and Demi-grifs to lay waste to invaders.For the Greenskins (Orcs), players will have to use brute force and cunning to expand their own empire. As Orcs don't really have much interest for diplomacy and the political aspects of nation-building, they choose the more direct approach to get what they want. While they possess the standard warrior and shaman classes, the latter who can utilize spells to summon giant constructs to stomp their foes, they also make use of kamikaze goblins that use leather wings to fly into enemy units. Launching catapults, they can be manually aimed while in flight for precision targeting.While the title is in pre-alpha, and the build we saw was hands-off, I was incredibly impressed with what I saw. The new visual aesthetic and a rich setting offers so much potential for what the Total War series can do within the fantasy genre. As you can spend countless hours with just one faction, building them up and taking down opposing forces, I'm very interested in seeing how much lore they can fit into this title. Though Creative Assembly was very hesitant to share any details about the Dwarf and Vampyre factions, it was very clear in stating that all of the factions will be very developed and possess their own unique cultures that will alter how they function on the world stage.It's still a ways off, but the folks at Creative Assembly are on track with developing something unique. Obviously, it's quite a departure for what the series has done before, but it's still very much a Total War title through and through.

Creative Assembly changes the sceneryThe Total War series is known for its focus on intense real-time combat and simulation-based nation-building gameplay. As one of the more historical games, the series has garnered a lot of respect from fans and many critics a...

Some folks were invited to see Total War: Warhammer. We were not.
But thanks to the power of the Internet, we can all share in the absurd spectacle. I sincerely hope Creative Assembly works its magic here. The premise alone is the stuff of dreams.
I am curious what the DLC situation will be like for this game. "Extensive," probably.

Sure, we might have unofficially known about its existence since January, but Sega still wants to wow people with the reveal trailer for Total War: Warhammer. Pretend to be surprised!
It's got the Warhammer staples: humans, ...

In what was probably an alternate ending to Alien: Isolation, Amanda Ripley looked down and noticed that her arms were fire. How she went through decades of life without realizing that her limbs were constant chemical combus...

Alien: Isolation was one of my biggest surprises of last year. As huge fan of the film series, I always wanted to play a title that emulated the original movie's tone and style. Though the action of the James Cameron-he...

One of the great joys of attending GDC is going to panels conducted by developers talking about your favorite games. Not only will you learn new and exciting details about the development, but you might even see somethi...

Just like Alien: Isolation's last piece of content, the newest add-on again asks you to decide what's more important: a shot at leaderboard fame or safety? The two are mutually exclusive, and there's a pissed off Xenomorph t...

Yes, Total War: Warhammer is a thing that's happening. No, Sega hasn't officially announced it.
The word comes from a book entitled The Art of Total War, which is set to hit shelves next week. Unfortunately for those who may ...

Creative Assembly's Alien: Isolation is a constant struggle for survival, and maybe more precisely, a neverending search for those few fleeting moments when you feel safe, even if you know danger's probably mere seconds...

[Update: As expected, Sega's official comment to Destructoid is "Creative Assembly is focused on their post-launch content for Alien: Isolation, and have no comment on plans for a sequel.]
Without doubt, Alien: Isolation...

Anyone that's tried tackling Alien: Isolation on the toughest difficulty knows that it's a painstakingly hard endeavor. There's little room for error, as the alien is quite adept at adapting to your strategies. As if it ...

We haven't heard much about Total War: Attila since Creative Assembly announced the strategy game back in September but it's coming along. To catch you up to speed: the year is 395 AD, family trees are back, and you can burn ...

Oct 17 //
Alasdair Duncan
The Art of Alien: Isolation (Book)Author: Andy McVitiePublisher: Titan BooksPrice: $34.95/£29.99Released: October 7, 2014
Despite being set 15 years after the first film, Alien: Isolation copies the design and art style of the movie almost exactly. This is still grungy, industrial, workman-like sci-fi, not flashy, shiny space opera. Each chapter of the book shows that plenty of thought went into making every visual element stand out and fit in with the style of the original Alien.
The book is a good opportunity to get a better look at protagonist Amanda Ripley, who only fully appears in the game's cutscenes. There's a whole heap of costume designs and concept art that looks like it came right out of the sketchbook of either Ron Cobb or John Mollo. You're given a better sense of what went into attempting to make the art of Isolation have that "lived-in" feel. There are also quite a few drawings of various space craft, which is just like catnip to me.
The center piece of the game is the one thing you don't want to see, the Xenomorph itself. Again, the concept art does a fine job of showing the changes in design the team went through. The initial sketches depict a more muscular alien, whereas the final model ended up being a thinner, more lithe creature. Of course, if you've seen any of the films, you'll already be very familiar with the design of H. R. Giger's iconic monster.
On that note, the only really disappointing element is how familiar much of the artwork feels. For fans of the Alien franchise or gritty sci-fi in general, there isn't anything unexpected here. The team at Creative Assembly has done an excellent job recreating the look of the original film but it's a shame there aren't more surprises to be found.
There is artwork of sequences cut from the game, like a brief zero-G section and storyboards for unused dialog sequences. Still, Alien: Isolation is undoubtedly a faithful recreation of a beloved film and this art book shows how dedicated Creative Assembly was in making the game.

This art book is much less scary than the gameAlien: Isolation has received a lot of praise over its faithful recreation of the original film's lo-fi take on science fiction. "Truckers in space" was the aesthetic director Ridley Scott set out to capture and the decks and...

Man, there sure have been a lot of Alien: Isolation videos lately. I guess that's the rote cycle of triple-A games marketing. Here's one more. But, this launch trailer may be better than all the other ones that have rel...

Demoing a game like Alien: Isolation at a convention such as EGX or PAX has always been problematic since horror works best when there's time for quieter moments between the scares. There has to be a period of tension buildin...

The latest piece of media for Creative Assembly's impending Alien: Isolation prods "How will you survive?" It's a fair question. With that hulking Xenomorph nimbly crawling out of the airshaft, stalking its prey before terrifyingly ending its life, it'll certainly be a tough task.
When the game releases on October 7, the most likely answer will probably be "There's a good chance we won't."

I didn't throw out any guesses for what the next Total War would be, but if I had, wow, I would've been way off. Creative Assembly's next installment, Total War: Attila, will follow none other than Attila the Hun when it rel...

Survivor Mode in Alien: Isolation, as described here in this video and further detailed in Steven's hands-on coverage, sounds cool. You'll have to complete certain objectives on a timer while being hunted, and factors like w...

Later this month at EGX London (formerly Eurogamer Expo), Total War studio Creative Assembly will "reveal" the next installment in its popular strategy franchise.
The announcement will be a part of a developer session schedul...

From everything I've heard of Alien: Isolation, it's best not to run around when you think the coast is clear much less when the Xenomorph is right there in the same room. See: the trailer above.
Creative Assembly plans to put out more of these videos throughout the month, and I have to imagine most will end with the demise of Amanda Ripley. It's just like playing the game, then.

Aug 13 //
Alessandro FillariAlien: Isolation (PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 [previewed], PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One)Developer: Creative AssemblyPublisher: SegaRelease Date: October 7, 2014
Back when the uproar over Aliens: Colonial Marines happened, the developers at Creative Assembly were hard at work on Isolation and waiting for the time to unveil their project. "No one ever made the Alien game I wanted to play, which was about taking you back to the roots of the series -- which is one Alien, who is really meaningful," said creative lead Alistair Hope. "What would it be like to encounter Ridley Scott's original Alien? Who's massive, intelligent, and just something that's hunting you down."
First off, forget everything you know about the sequels to the original Alien. This game is set several decades before those events, and many of the buzzwords, tropes, and other plot points for the colonial space-marines don't exist yet. The ship from the original film, the Nostromo, is destroyed, the Alien was blown out of the airlock, and the fate of lone survivor Ellen Ripley is unknown.
Taking place 15 years after the original film, Alien: Isolation tells the story of Amanda Ripley, the daughter of the series' central character. After receiving word that the space station Sevastopol has recovered the Nostromo's flight recorder, she hurries to the station to learn of her mother's fate. Upon arriving, she finds the station in chaos as staff have gone into disarray after an Alien has taken up residence there. Now with the lives of herself and her crew on the line, Amanda must venture through the Sevastopol looking for answers, while evading the near omnipresent Alien.
Now when I first heard that we'd be playing as the daughter of Ellen Ripley, I sorta rolled my eyes and thought of it as a gimmick to eek some connection from the first movie. But I was wrong -- in the few hours I had with the game, I saw a lot to like with Amanda's character. She's scrappy, determined, and can definitely handle herself.
"We wanted to tell a story that had an emotional connection to that first film, to focus on someone who actually cared about the Nostromo," said Hope. "She has a lot of the same qualities of her mother, but she's taken her own path and she's very much her own character."
With more people clamoring for strong female heroes to play as, Ripley is exactly the kind of character many would like. Not only does she set herself apart from her mother by being more talkative, and more knowledgeable and handy, but she feels like a unique character that works well on her own. It's refreshing to play as a regular character with an unusual history brought into a trying circumstance, as opposed to just another space-marine that you'd likely forget about by game's end.
In more ways than one, Alien: Isolation is very much a throwback to the bleak and haunting sci-fi and horror films of the 1970s. Everything from the character look, atmosphere, and visual style have been recreated to match the tone and style of the original Alien film. To take things further, film grain and the color palette match with what many fans saw from the first film, and Creative Assembly wanted to recreate the same atmosphere for this new game.
"One of the big things I love about Alien is that '70s view of the future," said Hope. "That low-fi sci-fi. It's cool because it owns its own space, it's not the style of science fiction that we're used to, and it looks great and very immersive."
One of the big takeaways I had from this game is the art design. Isolation's aesthetic comes from the past's view of the future. As future prediction is relative to the times, the 1970s view of the future features structural designs and computers that feel analog and mechanical, CRT monitors with charming and antiquated graphics are placed in every room, and multilingual welcome signs show a coalesced human society of the future. The developers at Creative Assembly did an admirable job with replicating the "used" future look, as seen in Alien, Moon, and Star Wars. And it definitely makes for a more visually appealing haunted house.
In case you haven't figured it out by now, Alien: Isolation is almost the opposite style and tone seen in James Cameron's Aliens, and from all the derivatives that followed. While Aliens emphasized action-horror with powerful characters stretched to their limits, Alien is a horror-thriller with characters who are outmatched by an unknown force. Creative Assembly wanted to return to the original tone and atmosphere, as it's still largely unknown for gaming.
"One of the things we put up on the wall [during initial design] was to 're-Alien the Alien'. You can go back to the original Alien, which is over 35 years old, and even though it's old you can still get an emotional response from it," Hope stated. "And it's a testament to the power of the craft. It was important to me to have the Alien not run around your waist like a rabid dog, but to be big and imposing, that commanded your respect."
Respect is a great way of putting it. In the previous games, players are used to mowing down swarms of aliens without feeling any real fear. It's very ingrained, when you think about it. This aspect of the human vs. alien conflict is what CA wanted to change, and in order to do so, players had to be knocked down a few pegs.
"Horror I think is about small victories. It's those tiny moments where you think 'maybe I can make it,' and if I keep doing it maybe I can."
In an atmosphere filled with dread, the tension is incredibly heavy. You're not playing as a badass space-marine with ammo and firepower to blow away swarms of Aliens; you're a regular person with limited resources that has to think about firing a shot or even whether to make the tough decision to peek around a corner to see if the enemy is near. You're vulnerable, and the odds are against you. And the creature you're up against is intelligent, cunning, and unkillable by conventional means. And encountering it is quite possibly the worst thing that can happen to your character.
During my session, I had to find a trauma kit to heal an injured crew member. I carefully made my way through an abandoned crew's quarters, and suddenly the Alien crashed down from a shaft in the ceiling. Not noticing me, I ducked under a table and watched as he lurked through the halls, looking for a new prey. For most other Alien games, we would've ended the encounter there with a few shots from a pulse rifle. Not so here. Stealth and careful use of your gadgets, such as the invaluable motion tracker (which shows movement and objectives) and noisemaker gadget (which does exactly that) are necessary for survival.
Once the Alien discovers you, you're pretty much done for. Within the first ten minutes of encountering this thing, I was killed twice. Both times featured unique death animations, one where the Alien yanks Ripley and finishes her with a single bite, and another where the Alien crawls on top of Ripley and goes for the kill. It was certainly humbling to face against something that I was no match for, I was definitely on edge throughout my few hours with the game.
In keeping with its "throwback" style, the gameplay feels very much like a return to classic survival horror. Specifically in the vein of early Resident Evil titles and Alone in the Dark. Your resources are limited and sparse, you face unrelenting and powerful odds, and you're vulnerable to attack at the unlikeliest of moments -- to say things are tense would be putting it lightly. Moreover, Isolation also uses a fixed save point system. Creative Assembly cited this as a design choice to get players to think about where they want to set their flag, but also to prevent players from taking advantage of checkpoints and save-anywhere options, which would mitigate the tension.
There were definitely times where I felt too nervous to make a move, as the Alien would have a general sense of where I was and stay around the area. And no, it usually won't go away if it knows you're there. Safety feels like a luxury, and moments that felt like downtime only resulted in the creature re-emerging from its hiding spot, almost as if to remind players who's boss.
"We certainly don't want players to feel 100 percent safe, however this game has to be about tension and release," said Hope, while discussing the balance between creating tension. "It can't be unrelentingly oppressive and constantly overbearing, you need to be able to breath, before you can embark into the unknown."
While he's definitely correct about striking a balance between tension and release, I myself was mostly tense throughout the experience. One major criticism I had was that the objective locations are kept fairly vague while only giving you a general direction to head to. Picture this: you're looking for a small keycard located in a hallway with multiple rooms. You don't know where it is, and you have to sneak through each room searching for it, all the while having the Alien lurking about. You begin to get frustrated, you can't find what you need to leave and you start to panic, you knock over a nearby object (objects create noise which attracts the Alien), and the creature rushes off to your room.
At times, it felt like I was in a hopeless situation and that a restart was necessary. I was stuck in a supply closet and the Alien stuck its head toward the vents of the closets to see if I was inside. During this point, you can hold your breath and wait for the Alien to pass, but I let go of the button and let out a big gasp for air -- of course, the Alien heard it, ripped the doors off its hinges and dragged me to my death. It's moments like these that make the experience incredibly suspenseful, but in order to survive, you have to be prepared.
To get the upper hand on the Alien and overcome many other obstacles, Ripley must use her engineering skills to craft items and weaponry to survive her trek through the Sevastopol. The in-game crafting system allows players to make Medkits, ammo, and other tools to survive. While you will acquire core weaponry, such as the revolver, stun-baton, and flamethrower, many other gadgets like the noisemaker and Molotov cocktails require components that are found from looting dead bodies and crates. Though be careful, crafting will not pause the game and if you're in an unsafe location, you can be easily picked off by the Alien.
While the Alien is unrelenting and intimidating, it isn't the only enemy you have to worry about. Throughout the station you'll find other humans doing whatever it takes to survive the chaos. Even if means taking out Ripley. While there are people that players can peacefully interact with, others will attack on sight. Which is not only a problem, but the noise from this conflict will also attract the Alien. Though depending on how you play, this can work to your advantage. If you're clever enough, you can lure the beast out of hiding with gadgets and use the humans as a distraction. If done right, the Alien will leap out from whatever vent or rafter it's hiding from and make quick work of them, allowing you to pick up resources after the carnage.
"It's not about killing, it's about survival. It felt like there had to more interaction with this creature than just pulling a trigger," said Hope while discussing the different options you have for combat." You can actually finish the game without killing anyone, so it's down to your choice. It's a big part of the game experience, we put these situations in your hands."
Another enemy to watch out for are the Working Joes, or synthetic androids as seen from the films. Throughout the Sevastopol there are Working Joes on standby, and in some cases players can activate them for assistance, such as locating and procuring sensitive equipment. However, the Working Joes are also kept to maintain the integrity of the station, and if players tamper or destroy sensitive equipment, the androids will treat you as a hostile threat and enter a search-and-destroy protocol. While they appear slow and crude, they're extremely powerful and possess some sharper senses than the creature. The Alien is intimidating and scary, but Working Joes are just plain creepy.
I came in expecting a game that would be better than the previous titles by default, but I ended up playing a game that not only surprised me with its cleverness and complexity, it gave me a greater appreciation for the original film as well. Alien: Isolation knows exactly what it's doing, and its approach to offering an uncompromising and harsh experience that'll frighten and humble players should win over many who wrote off the series.
With its release on October 7, Isolation's return to classic horror will likely give gamers looking for a survivalist experience -- and those in need of a good scare -- something to look anticipate. And with the Alien lurking the halls of the space station, the odds will certainly be against you. But to quote the cunning android Ash from the original film, "I can't lie to you about your chances, but … you have my sympathies."

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